[lalique]

I've lost all my motivation. Even the "special guy" I was trying to impress, I finally got down right mad at, and had a huge fight with him, and he hasn't said word to me in 3 months. I doubt he'll ever talk to me again. Even if he does, he proved to me what kind of guy he really is, which is really sad, because I knew he was better than that. So there went all hope for that.

I just can't get myself to follow plan, and exercise. I'm constantly eating everything in sight, (with the exception of last week when I had the flu, and lost a few pounds).

Part of this may be due to the fact that I've been working full time at 2 different jobs, which has got me working 6 12 hour shifts a week. Currently I'm on night shift, which is really depressing me, because I eat alot when I'm on night for some reason.. And I never get to do anything fun, and never get to see the sunlight!! Seriously, I haven't seen the daylight for 8 straight days now. Half the time I don't know what day it is anyway.

I need help, support, and motivation more now then ever. I don't know how to get my time scheduled in a way that I could exercise. I don't have time to cook anything because I'm constantly running from one job to the next. When I get home all I want to do is sleep. By the time I wake up its time to get dressed and go back to work. Stopping at the gas station for food.

I'm almost done with my night shift rotation, and as of Feb. 1 I'm done at one of my jobs, so life won't be so crazy. But what do I do in the mean time? I'm sick of wasting time....

Guess I just needed to vent a little... I'm open to suggestions!

[vek]

If you are working night shifts is possible you have winter blues because of the lack of light. It happened to me last winter. I was working graveyard and by the time sun was rising I had to go to sleep and I was waking up in the dark, after the sun set. I was depressed and I didn't feel any need to go on, just to sleep and sleep and sleep... I bought a special lamp for luminotherapy and I started to use it. Few weeks later I was already better. This year I started to use the lamp since october, as the days started to go shorter. Guess what? No winter blues at all this season! Au contraire, I feel energetic and motivated!

"The level of light radiating from the sun drops from 50 000 lux in the summer, to just 500 lux in the winter, which is not enough to keep our bodies working in the same way. Below 2000 lux, the more sensitive amongst us can experience mood swings and changes to their body clock, which also reacts to natural light exposure.
Luminotherapy means light therapy and usually involves half-hour sessions in front of a bright lamp (10 000 lux), specially adapted to treat seasonal depression. The principle is simple: light exposure slows down melatonin production, fighting sleepiness and depression. The light reaches the brain through the retina of the eye, as nerve impulses, to alter hormone levels, which in turn reset your body clock and boost your immune system. Some doctors and health farms offer luminotherapy as a treatment, but there are also special lamps on the market for home use."

http://www.northernlighttechnologies...hat_is_SAD.php

As for the "special guy"... what can I say? Maybe it wasn't your Mr Right Guy. As they say: "Never run after a man or a bus, a better one will always come."

Motivation to burn some pounds? You are in the right place for it! Browse this site, check some stories and look at the fabulous pics then decide about a plan for yourself, put it on paper and start! Tomorrow is monday. What are you waitting for?

[Purplefirefly]

I agree about the sunlight...vitamin D comes from the sun and you need it! You can also buy natural light bulbs for your house if the lamps are expensive...those are supposed to help as well. Can you wait to sleep in the mornings, get out for a short walk in the sun maybe, then crash? It might take some time away from sleeping during the day, but I bet you will feel beter in a week or so just from the sun (if there is any sun this time of year where you live).

As for the boy...you have to do this for yourself, not for anyone else. Your motivation has to come from within, because you can't count on anyone else to sustain you long term. Think about all the reasons YOU need and want to do this, and write it down. Why are you doing this, and it can't be for anyone else.

It might also help to set a goal and work toward it...and I agree, set a plan on paper and commit...motivation comes and goes but if you are truly committed you will push to do it even when you don't want to. YOU CAN DO THIS. Just figure out they why, what and how...and get going!

[Gale02]

My DH works 12 hour graveyard shifts (7-7) and we both live the schedule. To combat the winter blues we just go with a little less sleep between November and April(ish). Although we don't go to bed until 8 or 9am, we make sure to be up by 3 so we get at least 2 hours of daylight in per day. We get up and take the dogs out for a walk immediately so that we make sure to get out in the sun. We have had to sacrifice a couple hours of sleep, but that's much better than never seeing the sun.

I suggest either staying up a couple hours later or getting up a couple hours earlier. It's a drag to miss that sleep, but it's worth it to get out in the daylight. It makes me feel like much less of a vampire.

[pamatga]

This might not be the best time to be even considering dieting. I had to stop when I became sick and just put it on the back burner. It sucked and I felt even more despondent but I am glad I did. I am afraid I might have harmed myself physically and health-wise if I would have added yet one more stress to my body.

I would wait until February 1st at the earliest or at least you have had a couple weeks of a more normal routine.

I have learned a couple of things in the past four months about how to be successful at losing the weight and keeping it off. Almost all of them I did not do before when I tried to lose weight and as a result I didn't lose the weight or keep it off for long either.

1) get on a schedule and stay on that schedule, especially sleeping. I used to like to stay up and watch late night tv but I would be bleary eyed for work and then I would feel like eating carbs to keep me awake. So, that cycle had to stop and it has. I honestly think this ended up being more important than exercising for me. Without a good night's sleep, you can't get through your day period.

2) Plan how you are going to handle food situations as well as you can. I know what I am going to eat and I pretty much stick to it.

3) I reverted to eating several smaller meals a day to keep my blood sugar level. I never used to do that but I now realize that is part of my success.

4) I have had some really stressful things to deal with since I began dieting. Life ebbs and flows. I may be losing my mom in the next couple of weeks. I have more debt than I care to admit. The bar has been raised at my job in terms of what I am expected to do. In other words, I have a normal life like any one else. Deal with what you can and then let it go.

5) Clear the decks and make this dieting the most important thing in your life right now.

6) Build other strategies in your life so it and you will succeed this time.

Don't worry, we have all been where you have been at. you can do this.

[barbygirl43]

It sucks when you feel like you are really ready to shed some pounds only to find life in the way. I went through a similar cycle a few months back. I would end up eating my woes away and packing on the pounds. Every time I would think I was ready to take on my weight problem, I'd do the same thing so I stopped trying to lose weight all together.

Since you know your work schedule is going to change in a couple of weeks why not now focus on trying to eat healthier and getting in some exercise and not mess with your scale. Work on changing a few of your unhealthy habits you'd like to get rid of and get you a plan of action ready for when Feb. 1 rolls around you'll know exactly what you want to do to get healthy and how you plan on accomplishing it. Hang in there. It can be done.

[amouse]

i agree with parma wait till feb and for now just try to make better eating choices.. you work an awful lot but have 1 day a week off? this is the day i would get a load of vegetables and make a good vege soup.. put it in single serve contyainers and freeze it .. so you can grab one a day on your way out the door , and can chuck it in a micro at work.. have it with a piece of wholewheat bread and you have a healthy and filling meal.. snack on nuts fruit veg or low fat yogurt. make sure you always have a good supply of healthy food .on that day off go buy a load of fresh and frozen fruit and veg for the week ahead.

If your not too tired when you get home boil an egg or two and then put it in the fridge for when you wake up . there are lost of healthy and easy options available . canned soup is ok on a day you run out of the home made .. but rememeber its very high is salt .. so it will make you bloated if you have it too often. make sure you drink alot of water and try to eat about every 3 hours instead of picking all the time. ( your hungry becuase you tired and when your body cant sleep it asks to eat instead)